Strengthening Children’s Advertising Defenses: The Effect of Forewarnings of Commercial and Manipulative Intent

• In Event: Understanding and Countering Effects of Advertising on Youth

Abstract

This study investigated whether a forewarning of advertising’s intent can increase 8- to 10-year-old children’s (N = 159) defenses against TV-commercials to make them less susceptible to its effects (i.e., brand attitude and advertised product desire). Two different forewarnings were tested: one for advertising’s commercial intent (i.e., warning for the selling and persuasive intent) and one for advertising’s manipulative intent (i.e., warning for the deceptive nature). Results showed that the warning of manipulative intent prior to advertising exposure was most successful in increasing children’s advertising defenses: the forewarning increased children’s skeptical attitude toward advertising (i.e., attitudinal advertising literacy) which in turn led to less favorable brand attitudes and less advertised product desire. The forewarning of commercial intent was not effective in strengthening children’s advertising defenses. These findings demonstrate that forewarnings of manipulative intent are successful in stimulating children’s attitudinal advertising literacy (i.e., skepticism), and offer potential to reduce advertising susceptibility.

Authors

• Laura Buijs, Radboud University Nijmegen

• Esther Rozendaal, Radboud University Nijmegen

• Eva van Reijmersdal, U of Amsterdam